The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1887-04-02
Public Highways.


Editor Lake Charles Echo
have come here TO be citizen Of
your locality, and in that capacity
make bold TO send You these few lines
concerning our city and parish high
ways.
Lake Charles is a city of no mean
Importance 1t is well populated with
an intelligent and industrious popula-
ton. 1t is very beautifully located as
far as concerns topography, centrally
located as far as concerns geography,
and conveniently located as far as con.
Germs commerce. Nature has done her
share, and the founders Of the city
have apparently done their duty but
there seems to be one thing lacking,
and that is, inteligently la out, es-
tablishcd and worked pubkc highWoYS
leading from city to country, and from
country to city. No country can well
/ prosper without communication with
its cities, and no city cat amount to
very much without communication
with the surrounding country, ana the
only way to foster such communica-
lions is by means Of establishing and
maintaining good, short route and
direct public highways.
1t is an old saw, that 1.-THE state Of
the public streets and highways in a
locality is an Indication Of the general
state of civilization Of the inhabitants
thereof" Our own Governor. in his
opening speech at the Interstate Con-
Ventlon, said that 1--WE are immeasura-
bly, superior to our ancestors Per
haps that proposition can stand unCon-
troverted but, if SO, we must at once
attend to our public thoroughfares by
widening, Strengthening and laying such
as near as possible on government lines,
that they may not be like the narrow,
crooked and irregular alleys dcnomi. /
mated Streets" of ancient cities, and |
also some cities and parishes along the |
Gulf of Mexico's border. Here we |
have oceans Of prairie, and the pack |
horses trail and barrow's path is hard
Iy consistent with a country of extent |
and resources like the State of Louisi.
ana.
Lake Charles is peculiarly located |
as far as concerns feasible lines for
public roads being built on the cor
ners of four townships, SO that one
township and one range line cuts the
city into four parts-teasible lines for
Pu6llc hlghways-which ought to be |
established as such at once and the
parish and city ought not TO rest until
broad and well worked public high.
ways be established upon and along |
said lines.
Some one will probably say, "Wby |
1t cannot be done--there will be oppo. |
sltion on these lines" Well. nv
friend, you are probably aware that |
you may undertake anything, what
ever and you will no doubt find plenty |
OF opponents, let the measure BE- ever |
SO saluiary, especially if the effort be
OF a public nature, and if an enterprise
or an effort is TO be abandoned on that
score, ] cannot but JOIN the saying,
universal IN the North aud West, that
Louisiana is hundred years behind
the other States in the Union. ms far |
as concerns public improvements"
Every schoOlboy 10 the North aud |
West knows that the makers of the
Constitution of the United States pro- |
Vided that private property can and |
must be taken for public use for lust
whenever it becomes ex.
oedlent to do so-otherwise the great
'st and most salutary internal improve.
nents could be defeated by some pig
headed dyspectic. ] am sorry 10 say 1
hat 1t appears to me to be the prevail
ng opinion, or perhaps, sentiment
9 much the worse--in these parts,
hat il q man happens to have some
money, and takes it into bis head 10
'ppose anythlng-pnbfc or private
le must have hisown way, which way,
Illow me TO observe, is contrary to tic !
plflt ot onrinstitutions, namely /: that
be public is greater than the iudi-
idlal.
Lake Charles being the county, or
arisI seat Of the large aud prosperous
arish Of Calcasieu, ought To have at
last one broad and well worked pub.
9 highway leading to the four CORNERS
the compass, on the lines before
9oken Of, and if any opposition is
Iet ip accomplishing such, the parish
lCaleaaleu is abundaptly rich and
PIE ~ pay for the land 90 these lines
sfore mentioned, condemned for high
~ purposes. But only blind men
p oppose public roads, as they are to
Ie landowner What the city's maiu
rect j. to the lot4owper.
Respectfully yours,
EzEKEEL p. MALvERIcK.